1 . Perhaps the most quarrelsome issue between fathers and sons is the question of work and how to be successful in the real world. Right from the beginning, I thought I should start at the top. I was a talented young man and I thought everyone around me should realize this. With growing pride, I did not believe that I should have to pay my dues like other people. As a result, I constantly tried to find a short cut to the big time.
My father is a good example of the American dream coming to life, a self-made man who achieved success through hard work. Focusing on the promise of college, Dad won a scholarship to Brown University. Digging into his studies while forming a group of close friends, he achieved a lot at Brown. As the years passed and children were born, Dad worked with an unchanging dream, becoming a respected partner of the firm and the head of the sales team. He worked hard, but was also creative, and eventually became a famous expert in raising capital when others failed.
In contrast to my father’s hard-earned success, I grew up as a privileged Upper East Side New Yorker who expected everything to be handed to him. I went to Brown where I majored in literary theory, and partied until the morning. After college, I headed out to Los Angeles where I fed into the dream of selling a big screenplay (剧本). Although my partying became habitual and out of control, I always thought the next big script sale would change everything.
Seeing my attitude, my father told me that there were no short cuts. I never listened. Eventually, I lost my house and my marriage. Never listening to the sound advice of my father and insisting on following my own path toward self-destruction, I ended up in a terrible place.
My father, however, never gave up on me and has been remarkably supportive to me. With the faith of my family and the support of my father, I have been able to pay my dues and launch my career as a technical writer. Like my father tried to teach me, there are no short cuts.
No matter how talented or fortunate you may be, success is the product of sweat in the form of hard work—showing up each day and doing your job to the best of your abilities.
1. At first, the author and his father disagreed about ________.| A．the appreciation for being helped | B．the approach to success |
| C．the spirit of game winning | D．the quality of being an expert |
| A．He studied hard but had few friends at college. | B．He achieved success with the help of his parents. |
| C．He was a top student when he was at college. | D．He went to America as a foreigner and realized his dream. |
| A．kind-hearted | B．considerate | C．imaginative | D．determined |
| A．He bought a new house with the help of his father. |
| B．He became a renowned expert in his field. |
| C．He put his heart into his work after losing everything. |
| D．He learned a lot from his father but still disagreed with him. |
| A．You harvest what you sow. | B．All roads lead to Rome. |
| C．He who has health has hope. | D．Two heads are better than one. |
I still remember my first day of second grade. I was led to a classroom. No teacher yet. Girls talking and laughing. Boys playing games.
I took some paper and a pencil, picked a desk, and went to work. Minutes later, a girl came over and sat on top of my desk.
"What are you doing?" she said.
"I am doing Fun with Number" I replied. Then I rose from my seat to get my pencil sharpener. I had no idea that when I stood, the desk would fall over and hurt her leg.
Her name was Lucy. From that day on we got to know each other, and she became my best friend. Now we have been close friends for more than 60 years. We often get together and recall the past.
Some TV advertisements try to tell us what children need for school, new shoes, clothes, and schoolbags. But really, children's needs are simple. Besides the basics—to be fed, cared for, and loved- they need the gift of friendship.
For years, I feared how people saw me. But one day, I finally understood I didn't need to be smart or pretty or popular, but just needed to be kind.
My grandson William recently finished his preschool and received a prize for "friendship". Even an Olympic medal wouldn't make me prouder! I think children need to know that they are loved. They need to know they have all they need and that the best way to win friends is to be kind.
1. When and where did the author meet Lucy for the first time?2. What was the author doing when Lucy came over?
3. How do Lucy and the author keep their friendship growing?
4. Besides the basics, what do children need for a happy school life?
5. In your opinion, what is the best way to win friends?
